The Cockroach Species File (CSF) is an up-to-date taxonomic catalogue of the world's cockroaches, excluding fossil species. Cockroaches belong to the order Blattodea (sometimes known as Blattaria) as too do the termites. In the past termites were thought to be a separate order, Isoptera, but recent work confirms that they are in fact blattodeans.

The CSF includes c. 6,700 scientific names (all ranks, valid and not valid) and c. 4,600 valid species are recognised. Images of museum specimens (especially types), plus pictures of living cockroaches are slowly being added.

NOTE: The spellings of the scientific names in the CSF, plus the names of their
authors and the year of their description are now more accurate than in the previous
world catalogue of cockroaches, which was compiled by Karlis Princis (1893-1978)
and published between 1962 and 1971. In addition the synonomy and higher classification
of most taxa is up-to-date, unlike Princis' catalogue. Having said this, there are
still likely to be errors, so if you find any please inform George.

To see information contained in the database, use the links across the top of the
page. Click on
Search to find a specific taxon or other kinds of information. Clicking
on Taxa will make the
order Blattodea your current taxon unless you have previously moved to a different
taxon in this session.

This website and database use Species File Software. Information about the
design and use of SFS may be found on a separate website.

Please send comments and questions about the database and its development to George
Beccaloni
(send mail). When referencing this website, please use the following
format: Beccaloni, G. W. 2014.
Cockroach Species File Online. Version
5.0/5.0. World Wide Web electronic
publication. <http://Cockroach.SpeciesFile.org> [accessed 11 July 2014*].
* Please give the precise date you used the BSF. Use http://Cockroach.SpeciesFile.org to bookmark this website.